for the love of the 911 a passion ignited

For the love of the 911: a passion ignited

Passing the baton, from father to son

October 21, 2021 | 2 min read

Man in white T-shirt leans against Porsche 964 Carrera

The connection between a father and son is always special. But to Philipp M Hohenthanner, that bond went beyond that. He tells us how his dad’s love of Porsche has led him to a life that celebrates the magic of the 911

A love that grew

“I’ve been a car guy since I can remember. In 1993 – when I was three years old – my father gave me a model of the new Porsche 993. He told me that the Porsche 911 is the most complete sportscar in the world, because of its unique, classy design and its powerful flat-six engine mounted in the rear. “Good for traction – and traction is good in order to be fast around corners,” as he told me.

Although I had absolutely no idea of the importance of traction, fast corners or powerful engines in the back at that time, I still realised that the car meant something special to my dad. And soon it would mean the same to me too.

Aged three, Philipp M Hohenthanner was given a toy Porsche 993 car that would change his life

As the years went by, like my father, I became such a die-hard Porsche fan that friends started calling me ‘The Porscheist’, because whenever I saw any 911, I was immediately able to name the model, performance figures and other data about the car. To some people it was freaky, but I never worried about it.

An unbreakable connection

And then I started a community called ‘911. Legends Never Die’ on social media which has turned into one of the best-known Porsche fans platforms. This passion for Porsche connected me and my dad – it was our common hobby. Over the years the two of us collected countless magazines, magazines and books about the Porsche 911. But while we collected literally anything we could find, we never owned one.

Man at driver’s wheel of 964 — Philipp M Hohenthanner – aka ‘The Porscheist’

A few years ago, as my dad turned 59, he became unwell. There were some serious concerns about his health. One cold Saturday afternoon in December we took a long walk together. And there, I told him it was time to make his dream come true. I convinced him that it was finally his moment to get a 911.

My father always put others before himself. So, buying a 911 would be a rare occasion when he did something for himself only. A gift of pure pleasure. So, finally, six months after our wintry chat, my dad bought his first ever 911 – a 964 Carrera in dark grey – after nearly a lifetime of Porsche fandom. And by doing so he proved my motto right – “It’s all about passion, friendship and driving a legend!”

Rear view of 964 on road, surrounded by autumnal trees — Philipp can thank his Porsche-loving dad for his lifetime passion

Group shot of all three cars Sonderwunsch x Toy Story 5 lined up against tall bushes_hero thumbnail

The Porsche 911 models inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 characters

Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie have been brought to life as 911 models by Sonderwunsch at Porsche to celebrate the theatrical release of the new Toy Story 5 movie. They will be sold as part of a broader charitable initiative

In pictures: Icons of Porsche – Sunstede, Silverstone Edition

A celebration of sportscars, heritage and community, Icons of Porsche – Sunstede, Silverstone Edition brought Porsche passion to the home of British motorsport

Six famous Porsche race cars on circuit at Le Mans with the Dunlop bridge in background thumbnail

From 550 Spyder to 919 Hybrid: 8 Porsche race cars that made Le Mans history

With an unprecedented 19 overall victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche and the greatest-ever endurance race are inextricably linked. These are the stories of the legendary race cars that have secured a legacy